Luminous Arc 2 Hands-On

The original Luminous Arc didn't exactly push boundaries in the strategy role-playing game genre, but it was still a solid effort for those who enjoy turn-based gameplay intermingled with a ton of dialogue. Luminous Arc 2 follows the same vein, where you have a fairly standard strategy RPG game and you play as the hero in charge of bringing peace to a land in turmoil. You don't need to have played the first Luminous Arc to enjoy this one, even though it seems to be set well after the events of the first game. The game does a good job of setting up the plot and teaching you the basics of battle by the end of the first chapter.

You're introduced to the world of Carnava, where things were going relatively well during the course of the past four millennia. However, recently, the Shadow Frost Witch has been doing nothing but causing trouble. The Queen of Carnava wants to put an end to the conflict by sending Roland, a young knight in training--who happened to fuse a piece of magical technology to himself--to the Rev Magic Association to become a Rune Knight. By becoming a Rune Knight, Roland will gain the ability to use magic and access special abilities. With these skills, he'll be able to do something about that pesky witch issue. There is a cast of quirky characters that you'll meet along the way whose dialogue is often humorous and entertaining. Though it can be lengthy, it keeps the entire feel of the game lighthearted and fun.

You have the option to use the stylus, but classic D pad control still works wonders. Unlike in the previous game, you don't have to switch any settings to choose your control preference. The battle system is similar to the previous game, where you take turns issuing commands to each member of your party. However, this time, your characters won't heal when they level, so playing conservatively and using items is critical if you want to last during a long fight. You still move around the battle map to inch your way closer to enemies, and each member of your party has a limited amount of moves, as well as a character-specific skill set. The game uses drive points for when you want to deal some extra damage. Whenever you interact or do anything on the field, your drive points will increase, and when you collect 100 points, you can spend them on a skill or an attack, which will increase its effectiveness. There are other things to keep in mind, such as positioning your characters behind an enemy, which will give you an advantage, as well as moving your party to higher ground and fighting enemies at a lower elevation.

You will have to pay attention to your own team members. You can target them and hit them by accident if you're not careful. Special attacks, such as flash drives (which will unlock for characters as the game progresses), won't affect your party members, and similar to regular attacks, this ability can also be enhanced by drive points. Early on, Roland will learn an engage command where in battle he can use it to gain the same elemental affinity as the witch to whom he's linked. It's funny when he becomes "engaged" because the witch he's tied to will appear in a wedding gown for a brief moment before Roland becomes imbued with her power. After that event, he will temporarily have new skills and a boost in stats.

Kopin, the game's daikon-like mascot returns, and if you enjoyed Luminous Arc's random intermission segments, those will be back as well. This will let you get to know the characters better, but if you don't care, you can always skip them. There is the option to hold L and plow through the sometimes voice acted dialogue versus tapping the A button repeatedly. For those who enjoy video game soundtracks, the bottom screen will always display what track is playing during non-battle segments, so you can keep track of your favorite tunes. Atlus is bundling the soundtrack with Luminous Arc 2, which features the works of Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts) and Akari Haida (Okami). If you like anime and appreciate the intricacies of costume or character design, the art style is fantastic.

Luminous Arc 2 should give strategy RPG fans the fix they need for the holidays, especially if you can take six of your best party members and battle against anyone in North America over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. There are 30 chapters to the story and more than 30 hours of gameplay with multiple endings. It's not an overly complicated game either, so if you're looking to get into strategy RPGs, you could ease your way into this one. Check back soon for our full review of Luminous Arc 2, which is set to be released on November 18.